Tool Vocalist Maynard James Keenan Receives Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt

Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan is not only a man of many bands, he's also a man of many talents. Along with his passion for wine that we've seen over the years, he's also attempted to master the martial arts. Keenan took another step in that direction recently and posted about it online.

The vocalist has trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and recently received his Purple belt. In a post on Instagram, he showed his new belt that he gained after deciding to restart his pursuits following a few obstacles that delayed his progress. Along with his photo, he posted a lengthy message about how the accomplishment came to be. Check out his comments below:

Thankful moment. Yesterday, while on family vacation in Hawaii, I was blessed with a curveball. The coach that gave me my Blue belt years ago at Ricksons academy on Pico in LA, Luis “Limao” Heredia, @chieflimao Maui Jiu Jitsu, surprised me unexpectedly with a long, very kind, heart felt speech and my Purple Belt.
It’s taken quite awhile to get here. I moved to an area that had no Rickson Gracie Jiu Jitsu school in late ’96 and had to commute back and forth to keep up training which just wasn’t practical. I also suffered a few injuries which also made training inconsistent. And even when I could train, it wasn’t under a single instructor with a Rickson Gracie curriculum. So very difficult to advance in belts under this scenario.
But more recently I resumed training after some supportive prodding from one of my best friends in the world, Todd Fox. And I’ve been making regular trips back and forth to St Louis to train with his coach, Rodrigo Vaghi as well as to Los Angeles to train with my old friend Henry Akins, at Dynamix Martial Arts. Without these guys I wouldn’t have been able to confidently wear this belt. Thank you, Todd, Rodrigo, Henry, and Limao for this opportunity to test and understand myself better and to push my boundaries and discover more of which I am capable. @5dbjj @henrydynamixmma

Keenan has been quite busy with music over the last few years. On top of Tool, who are currently working on a new album, the vocalist has reunited with A Perfect Circle and is said to be nearing completion of the next Puscifer release.